"Let me see your hands!"
Is what the cop of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ordered of the Lobster people.
They were skindiving on the eve of the two-day spiny lobster season in preparation for the next day's dive.
The officer was checking to make sure that there was no preemptive lobstering going on.
Do not mess with them--the Law enforcement officers of the DEP--I mean.
They will stalk and hunt you down.
We learned this eleven years ago when Steve and I were vacationing at the Keys with six other people.
We had rented a boat and started diving for stone crabs and spiny lobsters.
We touched and fondled every underwater sea creature that surrounded us, collecting some starfish and conchs along the way...in awe of the underwater sea creatures that surrounded us.
We had inadvertently wandered into the protected waters of Bahia Honda State Park hence the abundance and the ability for us to squeal "I got another one!" over and over again.
By the time we got to the marina, the cops--salivating-- were waiting for us.
They barked:
"You are hunting in protected waters and you will be fined $750.00+ for each specimen found."
"Open your live well."
Unbeknownst to us, Steve made the executive decision to empty out our live well.
(To this day we are not sure why he did this, perhaps he knew if we kept it...HE would have to cook it)
Imagine the cops surprise and (our relief) when there was no contraband to be found.
After issuing us a warning citation and Steve's name (whom the boat was rented by) put on a "watch" list for 10 years, we were let go.
That was in 1997.
Steve, you're clear to go lobstering again.
(Pictures from that trip are posted here.)
The Lobster People 2008.
(Pictures from Key West 2008 are posted here)